Who Could Replace Kirby Moore as Mizzou's Next Offensive Coordinator?

The Tigers have to replace a hole on their staff after losing their offensive coordinator to a head coaching vacancy in the new PAC 12.

Mar 2, 2025; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Atlanta Falcons offensive line coach Dwayne Ledford during the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Missouri Tigers are in search mode now after the departure of offensive coordinator Kirby Moore, who's taking his first head coaching job at Washington State. It's way too early in the process to tell who the Tigers could be interested in as the replacement to Moore, but it's never too early.

The hunting process for a new coordinator will be an important one for Eli Drinkwitz and the Missouri Tigers for a variety of reasons. Moore was certainly successful with the reigns of the Missouri offense, but it did struggle at times and saw some low moments.

Drinkwitz is undoubtedly going to have a crop of coaches to choose from to fill his coaching staff hole. Who that is seems to be very unclear at the moment, but a big decision is to be made by Drinkwitz coming soon.

Here's a look at some purely hypothetical candidates to replace Moore as the offensive coordinator for the Missouri Tigers.

Dwayne Ledford, Atlanta Falcons

UofL football offensive coordinator Dwayne Ledford answers questions from the press. Dec. 19, 2018 Ledford Dwayne Uofl Football T9i5829 | Alton Strupp/Courier Journal

Ledford and Drinkwitz do have a connection, both spending time on Dave Doeren's staff at NC State from 2016 to 2018. Drinkwitz was the offensive coordinator there, while Ledford's expertise was used on the offensive line.

Ledford and Drinkwitz would have plenty of chemistry when it came to playcalling, schematics and the language used to do both of those things. He has multiple stints as a college offensive coordinator, including at Appalachian State and Louisville.

Earlier this week, while previewing the Gator Bowl, Drinkwitz admitted that he still stays in touch with Ledford from their shared time at NC State.

"I still stay in touch with Dwayne and get ideas from him on how they're running the wide zone," Drinkwitz said on Tuesday. "And so that's been just the foundational component for us again."

The biggest issue that could arise with Ledford is his absence from the college game over the last few seasons. He's been with the Atlanta Falcons since the 2021 season as an offensive line coach and recently picked up the role of run game coordinator in 2024. He'd have to put his recruiting hat on very quickly, along with adjusting to the new NIL era of college sports.

Casey Woods, SMU

Woods sneakily seems like he makes the most sense of anybody on this hypothetical list. Woods was in Columbia from 2020 to 2021 as a tight ends and receivers coach, but also overlapped with Drinkwitz at his stops at Auburn and Arkansas State. The two arguably have the most connections between any of these other potential names.

As the offensive coordinator for the Mustangs under Rhett Lashlee since 2022, SMU has consistently been able to be one of the best offensive units in both the AAC and ACC. In its first two years in the ACC, SMU has finished fourth and sixth in total offensive yards. SMU had the third and first best offense in the American in Woods' first two years alongside Lashlee.

That being said, it isn't much of a secret that Lashlee is the primary offensive playcaller for the Mustangs. Woods has the experience on a top-tier team and staff, along with recruiting ties, but he doesn't yet have the playcalling experience that might be desired for an SEC job. None of that changes the fact that Woods and Drinkwitz have plenty of familiarity.

Jimmie Dougherty, Washington

This was Dougherty's first season as the offensive coordinator for Jedd Fisch, but it was a successful one for the offense. The Huskies had the fifth-most yards in the entire conference this year and the seventh-most passing yards, which is supposed to be Dougherty's claim to fame.

He spent last season, his first one with Washington, as the team's passing game coordinator. He held the same role under Fisch at Arizona from 2021-2023.

There's something to be said for the chance that Fisch could still leave Seattle if the Michigan Wolverines come knocking at his door. Fisch has been a popular name in the early stages for that job opening and nothing would be stopping Dougherty from packing his bags and leaving with Fisch to head to Ann Arbor.

Dougherty's only connection to the University of Missouri is the four years he spent there playing quarterback from 1997 to 2001. He only played consistently for one of those years, his 1999 sophomore season. He's a Peoria, Illinois, native, but Missouri is his alma mater. There's something to be said for that.

Jonathan Smith, formerly Michigan State

Nov 22, 2025; Iowa City, Iowa, USA; Michigan State Spartans head coach Jonathan Smith looks on during the second quarter against the Iowa Hawkeyes at Kinnick Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images | Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

There isn't much of a connection, if any at all, between Smith, Drinkwitz and the Tigers, but it wouldn't hurt to give one of the brighter offensive minds in all of college football a call for now. Smith's tenure at Michigan State was prematurely cut short after two rough seasons, but that isn't exactly a reflection of how good a coach he is.

Smith did a solid job at Oregon State, going 34-35 over six seasons. During his last three years, the Beavers finished with winning records in each and they racked up a Las Vegas Bowl win in 2022. Three straight bowl appearances for Smith and the Beavers were very impressive, leading to his hiring at Michigan State.

Smith is clearly a talented coach and will likely want to stay on a coaching staff, despite just being fired. If Drinkwitz and the Tigers are looking for someone with head coaching and recruiting experience, Smith may just be that guy.

Wildcards

Sep 27, 2025; Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA; Arkansas Razorbacks head coach Sam Pittman during the fourth quarter against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium. Notre Dame won 56-13. Mandatory Credit: Nelson Chenault-Imagn Images | Nelson Chenault-Imagn Images

Here comes the part in this fun speculation game where crazy names get thrown around. There's no reason to believe that former Arkansas head coach Sam Pittman would want to continue coaching, especially at the age of 64 and with a rough ending with the Razorbacks still fresh. But, there's a clear level of mutual respect between Drinkwitz and Pittman that could always lead to the two uniting in Columbia.

What about Chip Kelly? He was recently let go from his duties as the offensive coordinator for Pete Carroll and the Las Vegas Raiders and Kelly has a ton of college coaching experience. An On3 report from earlier in the week stated that Kelly and Georgia Tech may have had some mutual interest, but it couldn't hurt to give the college football veteran a call.

Heck, why not give Drinkwitz's buddy Hugh Freeze a call? The two are friends and have the utmost respect for each other, even when coaching against one another. Freeze was recently let go at Auburn and may be looking for a bridge job until he can get another head coaching gig if he doesn't think he can get one this coming season.